About Pro Football

Football coaches cannot help worrying even about the past which, one supposes, has little effect on the present. Don Shula, the coach of the undefeated Miami Dolphins, brings his team to Baltimore today to meet the Colts, who have lost five of six, in a game that will be seen on teleyision here, Channel 4 at 4 o'clock. Said Shula last week, “We haven't done too well on my two trips to Balimore. We haven't scored a touchdown.

Shula, who jumped from the Colts to the Dolphins for the 1970 season, saw Miami lose in Baltimore that year„ 35‐0. The Dolphins, however, beat the Colts at home later, 34‐17, to qualify for the playoffs. Last season Miami won at home, 17‐14; lost in Baltimore, 14‐3, and then beat the Colts again, 21‐0, for the American. Conference championship.

“Every week we have to fight for our lives,” added Shula. Ycs, coaches love to worry.’

The Redskins’ Larry Brown, the league‐leading groundgainer who runs against the Giants here today, received quite a compliment from Mike McCormick of the Washington staff and a teammate of Jim Brown with the Cleveland Browns. “I've always said that Jim Brown was the greatest running back I've ever seen,” said McCormack. “Now I've got to qualify that statement.

“I don't think anybody has a bigger heart, is a better competitor or plays with more desire and toughness than Larry Brown,”

A fearless runnner, Brown receives some tremendous shots from tacklers. He says, “It looks like I take a lot of punishment but I'm not. I feel the aches and pains on Monday but by Tuesday I feel fine.”

For a new statistic called punting average efficiency, you take the kicker's punting average in yards and subtract from it the average distance his punts have been returned. That being measured in theory is the height of the kick and the difficulty in running it back.

Dave Chappel, the fine rookie punter of the Rams, is the National Conference leader with an efficiency figure of 43.5 yards. His kick average is 46.2 yards, the returns from these kicks only 2.7.

Mike Bragg of Washington has had his 22 punts returned for an average of only 0.7 yards. Ten were fair catches with no return:

Torn Blanchard of the Giants is way down with an efficiency figure of 31.8.

Like every football statistics this one has to be qualified. What about the ability of the punting team at stopping returns? Herman Weaver of the Lions has averaged a respectable 40.4 yards for his 11 punts but they have been run back 21,1 yards per return or 30 times Bragg's figure.

Chapple punts against the Oakland Raiders today and Weaver against the Dallas Cowboys tomorrow night.

Harry Schuh, a tackle for the Rams, plays against his former team today. Schuh a key man on an offensive lice which totals 51 seasons of pro experience, has only admiration for the Raiders.

“Oakland does a terrific job of preparing for a game,” says Schuh. “They have about as good knowledge of the other team as possible. They'll have complete breakdowns in dozens of ways of any team they play. The assistant coaches stay up until 3 A.M. studying film and give it to you at 9 A.M. when morning practice begins. Even the top man, Al Davis, works with receivers and quarterbacks to get ready.”

It's Floyd Little Day in Denver; where the Broncos meet the Browns. Little's philosophy: “Giving it all I've got every time. When I get done I can say I gave it hell when I was in it.

“I've had to live my whole life this way. When I came up they said I was too small. They still say it. They said I'd never get to college, that Id never graduate. I've always been prejudged. I've had to fight for everything.”